as of yet untitled
by akakurogin
Summary: What if the shitennou's supposed betrayal wasn't due to a lack of loyalty? An alternate take on the end of the Silver Millennium, this fiction centers on the return of the shitennou in the Crystal Millennium, and the senshi's reactions towards them.
1. Chapter 1

Title: as of yet untitled  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: not mine, cool? cool.

* * *

"What do you mean we have to work with Beryl? If we know she is trying to end the Silver Millennium, shouldn't we be stopping her? Why are we helping her?" Nephrite, the most emotional of Earth's four warrior-princes, stood up, slamming his fist against the stone table. 

"Understand your position, general." Sailor Pluto demanded at the same time Kunzite's lower voice spoke a similar command.

"Stand down, Nephrite."

Ignoring the guardian of time and instead staring defiantly at his leader, Nephrite remained standing for several tense moments before he sighed and sat back down, his emotional outburst giving way to a lifetime's worth of training. Everyone in the room relaxed just a fraction. Nephrite rested his elbows on the table and his forehand against his folded hands, forcing himself to calm down. Pluto took a sip of her tea before continuing on her explanation.

"It is what Fate demands of you. It is the only way for Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion to ever be together, you must understand." As soon as Sailor Pluto mentioned the forbidden love between the Moon princess and the Earth prince, the four generals looked up, directly at her. Varying levels of surprise and suspicion were clear as day on their faces. Even though she was telling them what they needed to do for a chance at a future, they still were wary of her knowing their prince's secret. "If we do not do this, Metallia may grow capable of capturing the Silver Crystal and really win the war. What I am asking you to do will only allow Beryl to win the battle - the love between your prince and my princess alone can save the universe." The men fell still and silent; Zoisite even stopped his habitual pen-twirling.

"We'll do it." Kunzite didn't need to consult with his men before making a decision that would change not just their own lives, but all of history. The decision wasn't really their's to make in the first place. It was their duty, something they swore to do when they took their oaths to protect the Prince of Earth. It was just a little ironic that the only way to protect him was not only to let him die, but to guide him straight to death's door.

* * *

"It's useless thinking about the what if's, you know." Serenity was sitting so lightly on her cracked throne that she appeared to be floating. The remains of what was once the grandest hall in the Silver Millennium surrounded her, now reduced to nothing more than the most common rubble. 

"I know." Pluto knelt in front of her queen, the one she'd sworn to protect with her life. Yet, that very promise was what forced her to help destroy everything she knew.

"And yet you still are." Despite having just seen her entire world literally crumble before her, Serenity was as calm as she was when she first took the throne. She kept her head high, even though there was no one but her closest friend around to witness it.

"I can't help it. I just can't help but wonder how something like this could possibly have good results. What if there was another way - a better way - and I just missed seeing it?" Pluto, on the other hand, was slowly cracking. She wouldn't be able to bear the guilt much longer, even though she had had no choice.

"Pluto, I'm sorry to have put so much so much responsibility on you. You will see though, it was all for the best." Serenity stood and walked forward to put her arm around the last soldier standing in her once invincible army. "Let us go. It is time." Together, the two women walked out onto the balcony of the palace, where official announcements were once made. Now, only broken pillars and crumbling walls gathered on the plaza before the palace, waiting for a glimpse of the Moon Queen. Serenity stretched her arms out in front of her, closing her eyes as a warm light emerged from between her hands, growing to encompass her arms, then her entire body. With a single word, the light exploded, and history was forever changed.

* * *

The first thing Usagi did when she woke up after the deep sleep in what would soon become Crystal Tokyo was call Pluto to her side. "Setsuna, you knew all this time?" 

"Yes." In two millenniums, the soldier had not changed a bit. The pain in her eyes were still there - it had been there, unchanging, every day she stood guarding the gates of time since the day she watched the Silver Millennium fall. Usagi had seen it before, but had not known it for what it was until now.

"I cannot express how deep my debt to you is, then." Usagi's eyes sparkled with unshed tears, the sympathy and respect emanating from her volumes louder than the wails she was famous for as a teenager.

"I was just fulfilling my duty." Even though her words were polite and cold, the pain in Pluto's eyes slipped ever so minutely - just enough to let a little relief slip through that it was finally over.

"When will we see them again?" Usagi stepped forward, clasping Pluto's gloved hand between her own two. There was so much hope, so much anticipation, and so much fear in her eyes that the soldier was loathe to give her the straight response.

"That, my Queen, only time will tell." Pluto squeezed Usagi's hand before letting go, turning to leave the room. There was so much for the soon to become Neo-Queen Serenity to do in building her new kingdom, it wouldn't be right to spend any more time reminiscing on the past.

"Just one more question, Setsuna. Why then, during the 20th Century, did the generals still fight for Beryl? Wasn't their mission over?"

"That's the one question that I can't answer. You will need to find that out for yourself." Even as the two women conversed, the wheels of fate and destiny turned. Elsewhere in reviving world, four men awoke with tears in their eyes, leftovers of a dream so beautiful and so equally wretched that they each wished hard for it to be a mere nightmare.

* * *

"Sailor Venus, a foreign presence has been detected near the East Gate." 

"What energy signal?" Head of security Venus spoke seemingly into thin air, though she was really speaking into a microphone placed on one of her pearly white teeth. She placed the sword she was inspecting back in its place before heading towards the East Gate.

"It's not in the database. EM analysis so far only shows that it is blue."

Venus wasn't too concerned as she approached the gate. Magick surrounded the palace and normally didn't let anyone who didn't belong approach it; it was almost like being in an alternate dimension, except that it was physically there and could be seen from what used to be the city of Tokyo. However, anyone who tried walking in a straight line towards the palace would unknowingly curve his path around it, never getting closer. She greeted the two soldiers guarding the gate, having long ago trained her men to not salute her in casual meetings, before turning to look at the cloaked figure standing still outside the gate.

"Who are you and what purpose do you have here?" Venus was completely alert, ready to fire a Crescent Beam and fling her wink chain at the same time, yet looking completely at ease and diplomatic.

The figure reached his hands out, showing he carried no weapons, and slowly brought them to his hood. Pushing it back, he revealed blond hair, followed by a beautiful, familiar face.

"Jed- no, Jadeite?!" Venus's shock was clearly shown on her face. Despite not meeting Jedite in the 20th century and not remembering Jadeite from the Moon, the names instinctively came to her mind and fell from her mouth. She didn't open the gate just yet though. Even though the newly crowned Neo-Queen Serenity had told the senshi about how Beryl's generals were once Endymion's personal guards - his version of her senshi - she couldn't exactly forget how they had killed them all not once, but twice.

The man dropped to his knees, still outside the gate. "Sailor Venus. Please, hear my story before turning me away. My name is Wang Jianjun; I've come here from Hangzhou, in the southern part of China. When the world was reawakened after the deep freeze, I had nightly dreams of a past on the Moon and a war - a war so bloody that none survived. I couldn't stop them, until one day I saw a newspaper with a picture of you senshi on it. You were in my dreams, all of you, and I knew I had to get an audience with the Queen."

Venus's heartstrings were pulled when she felt the desperation emanating from the man, even through the force field surrounding and protecting the palace grounds. "I'll bring you in, but only on the condition that you let me search you for weapons first and bind you up." She rested her hands on the chain around her waist. "I can't take any chances."

"Thank you - thank you so much!" Jianjun scrambled to his feet, allowing the cloak to drop off his shoulders. Instead of the gray uniform Venus had half-expected, he was dressed in normal civilian clothes, complete with a pair of sunglasses hanging off his Abercrombie & Fitch shirt's neckline. Venus watched as the guards opened the gate and scanned him for any possible weapons. Satisfied with their search, she tied his wrists and feet with her wink chain, leaving him just enough slack to walk, using her own powers through the chain to suppress any aura-based attacks he might attempt.

Commanding the guards to close the gate, she touched a switch on her earpiece that switched to the channel reserved strictly for senshi use only. "Guys, I need you all to meet in the Main Hall. We've got a special visitor."

* * *

"Do you really not remember anything?" The first to get over her shock, Mars took a step forward, towards the man Venus had led into the Main Hall and reintroduced into their lives. 

"I regret to say that I remember very little, Sailor Mars - just the battle. The fiercest battle this universe has ever seen. The senshi were there, as was I and three comrades of mine. I don't remember who was fighting whom though, or who won. Everything else I know is from my current life, in China."

Jianjun fell silent as the only other man in the room stood up from his throne. Heads turned as Endymion crossed the large hall towards a man who had once been his third in command and his enemy, rolled into one. Serenity half stood from her throne, for the first time not knowing what her husband was planning on doing. Endymion stopped directly in front of Jianjun, who remained kneeling, clearly terrified to look up at the Neo-King. Suddenly, Endymion held out his hand, on which rested a bright green, unpolished stone. "Take it. It belongs to you."

Jianjun slowly raised his head, looking into Endymion's eyes for the first time since stepping into the room, and felt a wave of emotions rush through him. He took the stone in the gloved hand, feeling warmth spread through his entire body as soon as he made contact with the stone. "Jadeite," he whispered, as a bright blue light engulfed him and he was once again dressed in a familiar gray uniform with blue piping, not unlike the one Jedite had worn.

The senshi were immediately on guard, completely prepared to blast him into oblivion if not for Serenity raising her hand and commanding, "Stay." They remained in attack position, ready to counter at the first wrong twitch from Jadeite.

"Do you remember, now?" Endymion asked the man now standing in front of him.

Jadeite was perfectly still, as though frozen. Memories came surging into his mind, memories locked away for so long and yet seemed as clear as though they were of yesterday. Endymion. The generals. Training. A trip to the moon. A woman in a red dress. A visit from a woman with a large key-shaped staff. Then pain, so much pain, so much, unendurable pain that he caused - he and his companions.

"Jadeite!" Mars exclaimed as Endymion caught the unconscious man. She covered her mouth, unsure why her heart jumped when the blond crumpled.

"It's OK, he just needs to rest. His memories probably came back too quickly for him to deal with it." Endymion called for someone to take Jadeite to the medical quarters. Mercury prepared to follow them until Endymion spoke. "Mercury, stay. The doctors there can take care of him; he'll probably be sleeping for awhile. We need to meet."

The group retreated to a side meeting room behind the two thrones in the main hall. There was a few minutes of silence as they each tried to accept what had just happened. Finally, Luna, sitting on top of the crystal table, broke the silence. "Do you all remember who he was?"

"The Prince of Asia, Third General to Prince Endymion of Earth," Serenity responded. She walked over to the snack cabinet behind her chair, taking out bags of candy, chips, and other such junk food she'd developed an addiction to as a teenager and had never learned to give up. Everyone else nodded, except for Endymion, who was too lost in his own thoughts to hear what Luna said.

"Asia. That's it. Jadeite was from Asia, Nephrite from America, Zoisite from Europe and Kunzite from Arabia. Kunzite was my first in command - he was like an older brother to us all, the old stick in the mud. Nephrite was second, with his hot head always in the stars. Jadeite was third, a very no-nonsense type of guy - never any fun, really. And then Zoisite, the sneaky little rat - he used to cheat in practice and Kunzite would let him. Jadeite would always find some way of punishing him though." Despite his choice of words, the smile sneaking into Endymion's words couldn't hide the fondness he felt for his memories.

"Was he also Jedite though?" Serenity spoke the question that was on everyone's mind, while munching on a candy bar. Luna sighed - while Serenity looked and acted regal enough in public, in private, she was much the same as she'd always been.

Mercury, who'd been tapping away on her computer ever since Venus had brought Jianjun in, finally closed it and put it away. Everyone looked at her expectantly. "His story of having grown up in Hangzhou holds up. He was in high school when we were fighting Beryl and Jedite though. Genetically, he matches Jedite, though that doesn't necessarily mean anything. If Jedite were a clone, for instance, he would be a genetic match, but a different person."

"He was still involved in the downfall of the Moon Kingdom though." Mars, having gotten over her initial shock at seeing a former enemy return to them as a friend, had returned to her suspicious self. Serenity could only look at her best friend sadly, knowing it wasn't her place to tell her senshi what had really happened back on the Moon. It was someone else's job to inform them of that.

* * *

When Jadeite woke, he was in a clean bed, sunlight streaming in through windows over his head. He blinked once, twice, and remembered. Two tears slid past his eyelids without warning. He had betrayed his prince, had helped destroy the Moon Kingdom. Even if it was for the future, he helped destroy their happiness and innocence. He'd single-handedly led the attack on the East Wing, after he'd slipped the cyanide into Princess Mars's water - it had been a cowardly action, but he hadn't wanted to face her in combat. He wasn't sure why he was reincarnated, or what had compelled him to head for the Crystal Palace. He remembered the suspicion with which the senshi had regarded him - the way she had positioned her hands, ready to call up a bow and arrow of flames to incinerate him at a moment's notice. 

"Rei." He mouthed her name, too overwhelmed to produce any sound as a silent sob shook his body. A knock sounded on his door, and he quickly pulled himself together. "Come in."

"Oh, you're awake." The girl that opened the door was smaller than the four senshi he saw when he first entered the palace, but her distinctive clothing clearly marked her as one of the elite group.

"Saturn?" he queried, remembering the girl that had ultimately ended the great war by lowering her glaive to the ground.

"Yes. There's water on the table next to you and the bathroom's right there." She pointed at the other side of the room, where there was another door. "I'll go get Mercury while you freshen up - you've been sleeping for twelve hours." She backed out of the room, closing it gently behind her.

When Mercury entered a few minutes later, Jadeite was sitting up on his bed, emotions already hidden behind a mask of seriousness. "I've called Serenity, who's on her way. I'll get them as soon as we finish this check-up to ensure that you're OK, all right?" When Jadeite nodded, she proceeded with the exam.

As she was checking his pulse, he couldn't refrain from asking anymore, "Why are you all being so kind to me, after what I've done?"

Mecury looked up, lips moving rhythmically as she counted his heartbeats. Several seconds later, she dropped his wrist and scribbled something on her clipboard. "Because Serenity told us to." She strapped a digital blood pressure monitor on his wrist without another word, and the rest of the check-up was conducted in silence. There wasn't any other reason she was doing this - her queen ordered her to take care of him, so she did.

After taking a small sample of his blood to the lab, Mercury returned to show Serenity and Endymion into the room. "Prince- no, King-" Jadeite scrambled to get out of bed so he could kneel in front of his king as was his habit, but Endymion grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back against the pillows.

"There's no need to bow, Jadeite. Rest."

Serenity took this time to gather up Jadeite's hands in her own much smaller, more delicate ones. "Jadeite." Her eyes welled up with tears as she sat gingerly on the edge of his bed. "Jadeite, how can I ever thank you for what you did. I can't imagine ever having to head a war against the rest of you, knowing full well what you did about what was going to happen." Tears fell from her eyes, though she no longer wailed like a little child.

Endymion put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Thank you, Jadeite. Without you, this couldn't have happened."

Jadeite felt as though the proverbial heavy weight had been lifted off his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for - you're our hero!" Serenity's alarm broke through her tears as she stared, wide-eyed at the guilt-stricken man. "Do you hear me, Jadeite? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, my Queen. Does- does Mars know?"

"Just call me Serenity - we're still the same friends we've always been, I promise. And no, Mars doesn't know yet. It's not our place to tell her - it's your's. Whenever you're ready, I promise she'll listen." Serenity smiled at him through teary eyes, and Jadeite couldn't help but smile back.

"There's just one question, Jadeite - do you remember any battles during the 20th century?" Endymion phrased his question gently, attempting to make it sound as non-accusing as possible. He didn't want to accuse Jadeite of having gone against them even after the duty Sailor Pluto assigned him was finished, but they needed to know.

"No, the 20th century - all I remember was being a normal boy in China. It was just recently, after the deep freeze, that I started having nightmares of the war every night until I knew I needed to see you for the answers." Jadeite grew worried as Serenity and Endymion exchanged a look. "Why? What happened?" He could tell Serenity wanted to keep it a secret from him, so he continued. "Please, Serenity, if you still regard me as a friend. I need to know."

"Beryl attacked - that's when we finished off Metallia once and for all." Serenity wasn't telling him everything, and he knew it. Jadeite looked at her intently, imploring her to tell him everything. She relented. "The shitennou, in a sense, were working for her. Jedite, Neflyte, Zoycite and Malachite. We can't figure out who they were though - Mercury claims you have an alibi during that time."

Jadeite could only shake his head. "That wasn't me, you must believe me. I would never intentionally harm any of you again, certainly not for Metallia or Beryl's purposes. The only reason we did that in the first place was because Pluto said we had to, if we wanted to keep Metallia from ever gaining control."

"We know, Jadeite. We just can't figure out who those four were then, if they were clones or what. But trust me when I say that we believe you." Endymion clapped a hand on Jadeite's shoulder and smiled at him. "Now, why don't you get dressed and we'll go get lunch together? Someone I know should be starving by now." Right on cue, a loud growl came from Serenity's stomach. Jadeite smiled as Serenity and Endymion laughed. In two millennia, after all that had happened, they hadn't changed one bit. Everything was going to be OK. After changing into his uniform, he stepped outside to meet the two waiting for him and they headed off to the dining hall together, chatting like old friends.

* * *

It's been a long time since I've written Sailor Moon, so please, be brutal. Should I try finishing this? Or should I give it up as a terrible storyline and move on to something else? 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: not mine, cool? cool.

* * *

"Sailor Mars, an audience?" Jadeite stopped the fire senshi after lunch, before she had a chance to escape to her meditation chambers. Through his gloved hand that lightly held her gloved elbow, Mars felt warmth flowing into her body. Turning to reject his request, she stopped at the gravity in his eyes. Lowering her eyes from the indescribable depth he opened for her, she noticed the tightness of his mouth, and the tension in his shoulders. 

"Ten minutes." Since her meditation was going to be about the shitennou anyway, listening to him should only give her more information to work with, right? Mars walked out to the balcony overseeing the gardens, Jadeite following some seven paces behind. "So, talk."

"Mars, I need to know what you remember of me at all." Jadeite stood in front of Mars, looking straight at her without sparing the great palace gardens a second thought.

Mars looked momentarily confused. "Very little. I know you were one of Endymion's generals during the Silver Millennium." Mars paused, eyes searching the answer-less gardens as she tried pushing through the dense fog covering her memories. "I think I remember seeing you at some point on the moon, but only vaguely. I was told you turned and helped end the Silver Millennium, but have no memory of that or the final battle. Other than that, my memories of you were all from the 20th century, when you helped Beryl attack Earth." Mars's tone was cold, detached - different from the passionate heat that belonged hand-in-hand with her element.

Jadeite closed his eyes when his so-called betrayal was mentioned, brow furrowed in pain. Other than Pluto, the other senshi were never told the reason behind the end of the Silver Millennium. It hurt that she didn't remember him beyond that though. "Have you ever tried getting it back? Your memories?"

Mars saw the most interesting range of emotions flash across the general's face. A minute amount of hope seemed to turn into the world's deepest torment, which was instantly replaced with a mixture of acceptance and determination. She didn't understand it at all - did he wish she didn't recall the betrayal? If so, why would he ask about attempts at regaining her memories? More confused than before their conversation, Mars decided she couldn't put off her meditation any longer or she just might go insane. "Luna says it's not something we can control, so trying is pointless. I'm sorry, Jadeite, but I really need to head to the temple now. Serenity has more of her memories than any of us, if you needed to talk about the past." So saying, she continued on her way to her meditation.

Ultimately, Jadeite figured as he watched her hurry away from him, it shouldn't matter if Mars remembered him from the past. He remembered her, and that was the important thing. He remembered her fire and the way she'd kept everyone at an arrow's distance from her true self. Her insight was second to none, which was why he'd gotten close to her in the first place. Back then, before there was a history to recall and preconceived notions to deal with, General Jadeite had asked Sailor Mars to help with his illusions. Visually, his creations were perfect. Those as intuitive as Zoisite - that is to say, not intuitive at all - could not tell the difference between reality and Jadeite's fake reality. Even Nephrite, the most spiritually aware among them, had only been able to identify something was off, and wasn't able to pinpoint where the illusion was coming from. Sailor Mars, on the other hand, could not only identify Jadeite as the source, but could also forcefully shatter his illusion.

Remembering a tool his mother had given him for his illusions, he reached into his chest pocket, wondering if it were still there. Victoriously pulling out a flute made of a deep green jade - the same mineral he was named after, Jadeite stared at it reverently before putting it lightly to his lips. Without the flute, he could control only those he was physically touching. With it, his range expanded exponentially. Mars had put him through some rather hellish training regimens, each of which he'd accomplished without complaint. Jadeite's range and stamina had increased unerringly under Sailor Mars's tutelage, but her strength had grown parallel to his and he'd never been able to encompass her in his illusions. Towards the end of his stay on the Moon, he had expressed a desire to see her again, which she'd initially declined.

Jadeite took a deep breath of the wonderfully fresh, lightly flower-scented air. Sitting down on the top step leading down to the gardens, he began playing a beautiful tune, one so familiar he didn't even need to think about the next note because his hands knew them automatically. As he played, he continued to reminisce over memories he didn't even know existed just a day ago but were now clearer than the life he'd been leading in China. In the Silver Millennium, Jadeite had asked Sailor Mars to let down her guard for five minutes and just accept what he could show her. She had agreed warily. Even though she hadn't relaxed entirely, at least she didn't break free of his magic for five minutes, during which he had taken her climbing to the top of the Himalayas, pearl diving in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, horseback riding across the plains of Mongolia, and so much more. He'd shown her all the best places of his kingdom, and through it all, he'd held her hand in his own, warm and comforting. He finally brought her to the rim of a still active Mount Fuji, where they could feel the heat rising from the very ground they stood on. Jadeite had held a pair of ruby earrings out to Sailor Mars, and repeated his desire to see her again. As the illusion had dissolved around them, owing to his five minutes being up, Jadeite had been about to release Mars's hand when she'd reached for his other hand and leaned into his welcoming embrace.

In the short time the newly awakened Jadeite had spent in Sailor Mars's company, he'd noticed that she was still wearing his earrings. It had to be a sign, right? She hadn't entirely forgotten who he once was. She couldn't have. Besides, he knew her now better than he did back then - he already knew what would please her and what would not. Winning her back should be easy, right?

"Yes but you hadn't betrayed her yet back then," Jadeite mumbled to no one in particular, squeezing his flute tightly as he rubbed his eyes against gloved wrists.

"Is Rei giving you a hard time?"

"Prin- er, Serenity!" Jadeite, who had never really been comfortable addressing Serenity without an honorific, hopped to his feet upon hearing the queen's voice. "No, of course not, Rei hasn't done anything wrong. I was just thinking, you know, going through my memories of the Silver Millennium."

Serenity sat down on the steps Jadeite had just jumped up from, without a regard for her white dress, and motioned for Jadeite to sit next to her. "I know what you mean. In just one moment, your entire life is turned upside down and you've 180ed from just another person on this world to Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders. But it gets better, Jadeite. Your duty is heavy, but it comes with great rewards, I promise. As long as you don't give up, you'll win her back, because even she can't fight her destiny." Serenity turned to Jadeite with eyes so bright and a face so full of love that Jadeite couldn't help but understand why his prince - now king - was willing to give his life for her. "Just don't give up, Jadeite. Whatever you do, don't give up. Once you give up, you have nothing."

Jadeite didn't realize just then how important her words would be to him in the months ahead. After a few minutes of sitting in comfortable silence, Serenity glanced at her watch. "Oh, I almost forgot. Endymion was looking for you; he said he wanted to work out a training plan with you. He's happy you're back, you know, _really_ happy. He's had to train with the senshi all this time and even though he doesn't let on, I can tell he holds back. Venus might be able to kick his butt in an all out swordfight, but he's still afraid of hurting her by accident. It's probably just not the same without you guys."

Serenity kept up a steady stream of chatter as she led Jadeite towards Endymion's study. She told him a little about how they all met in the 20th century, and how even though she hadn't known about the senshi or the Silver Millennium back then, she still somehow knew when Venus showed up that something special – something important – was finally right again, finally complete. "That's what you guys are to Endymion. You're not only his guards, but also his friends."

A rock seemed to fall on Jadeite's stomach. Being the closest in age to his prince, Jadeite was indeed one of Endymion's closest friends and confidant. When he'd fallen in love with the Moon Princess, Jadeite had been the only one he'd told. Jadeite had tried to talk him out of it, telling Endymion that it was a bad idea and could not have good results. Endymion had disagreed and initiated an ambassadorial trip to the Moon, with the secret agenda of spending more time with his princess. Against his own better judgment, Jadeite had followed suit and fallen in love with the Mars Princess. If he had been able to stop his prince, perhaps the war could have been avoided. Perhaps they wouldn't have needed to betray their prince and help destroy the Silver Millennium, and all would have been OK. He'd been too young, too stupid to believe that prophecies were to be taken seriously, and he'd paid for it.

Now that his judgment was proven in the worst way possible to be faulty, what if Endymion no longer trusted him for advice? Jadeite shook his head as he followed Serenity through a grand pair of arched double doors. He wouldn't deserve whatever trust Endymion did place in him anyway. The only thing he could do to atone for his wrongs would be to protect his king at all costs this time around. He'd been given a second chance, and he was going to prove himself worthy of it.

"Mamo-chan, I found Jadeite for you," Serenity breezed into the room, and Jadeite immediately dropped to his knees upon seeing King Endymion.

"Jadeite, stand up. How many times do I need to tell you to not do that when we're alone?" Endymion smiled as he picked up a few items on his desk. "Stand up, man, and come over here." Jadeite slowly climbed to his feet.

Serenity giggled and reached for the doors. "I'll leave you boys to your manly talk now," she joked, closing the door behind her.

"Jadeite, I've assembled a few things I thought you might need. I'm assuming the flute I heard earlier was your's." At Jadeite's nod, Endymion smiled, leading them over to a table set up by a floor to ceiling window. "Great - that's one thing I didn't have. I had a little visit with Pluto while you were unconscious and she's given me a few things of your's that she's kept over the millennia. Take a look."

Jadeite's eyes widened when he saw what Endymion had collected for him. Down the center of the table lay his sword, next to its intricately detailed scabbard. A golden dragon twisted down the sheath, shining in an azure sea. "Seiryu," Jadeite murmured, reverently running his fingers along the dragon. Visions flashed through his mind of sparring matches and the occasional battle that came during the Silver Millennium.

Snapping out of his reverie, Jadeite picked up a card just about the right size to fit inside his wallet. "What's this?"

"Oh, I added a few things that would be helpful to you around here. That's the equivalent of an all-powerful ID card - it gets you RF access to all the places in the palace you are allowed to be - though a fingerprint and voice match are still required. It also acts as a communicator - see here's an earpiece and mic to go with it. Best yet, it can also act as a sort of 3D GPS for if you ever get lost in the palace. Trust me, it takes awhile to get used to this place." Endymion eagerly showed him the nifty functions of the card, which Jadeite assumed he and the Princess Mercury probably designed together.

Jadeite's eyes drifted to a golden necklace with an oddly shaped pendant, like a T with a quarter circle arc instead of the horizontal line while his king kept talking. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in the new stuff, but his emotions were starting to feel a little raw at all the memories the other stuff brought out. Jadeite remembered Zoisite handing him the charm, having made one for each of the shitennou. "When we combine them, they become the symbol of earth, see!" The other three shitennou had groaned and called Zoisite a girl, but none of them had ever taken the necklace off. "We each had one of these," he said, picking it up and staring at it. "It was to signify our allegiance to Earth. I didn't think I'd ever wear it again."

"Wear it now, Jadeite." Endymion gently took the chain from Jadeite's almost trembling hands and made quick work of clasping it around his neck. Even if Endymion hadn't said anything else about forgiveness, this one action was enough to prove it. Jadeite tucked the pendant underneath his uniform collar, feeling the cool metal warm up instantly against his chest.

"Endymion, I don't know how you came to know of what happened during the end of- during the end. But I need to say this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry we couldn't find another way. I'm sorry so many had to suffer. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you - I remember the betrayal I saw in your eyes when Kunzite fought you and I'm so sorry for that. Hell I'm even sorry I let you fall in love with the princess and helped you start a peace mission to the Moon. I'm so sorry." Jadeite again fell on his knees as he exploded. It wasn't possible to keep it all in him anymore, and a few tears dropped out of the normally stoic general, despite how tightly he'd squeezed his eyes shut.

"Jadeite." Endymion lowered himself so that he was eye-level with his third general, knowing these were some of the most important words he'd have to say to his friend. "Don't do this to yourself. Look around you. Look out there." Endymion gestured towards his window, through which one could see the senshi training grounds, a forest beyond that, and the great skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo far in the distance. "Without what you did then, none of this could have happened. Serenity and I would not be together and the Crystal Millennium would have never happened. Do you understand that? Yes, we suffered back then - you four the most of all - but without that pain, we would not have the happiness we do today. So stop blaming yourself, and start enjoying what you've helped make possible."

Jadeite nodded, dashing the back of his hand over his eyes quickly before standing back up shakily. "Now, the Queen told me you wanted to work out a training plan. I don't see my armor on that table, so unless you planned to make yourself look good by kicking my unarmored ass, I say we should stick to sparring for awhile."

Endymion laughed, glad that tense moment was over. "Your armor's hanging in your closet; there's too much of it to fit on this dinky little table. Let me show you to your room - in fact, why don't I just give you a grand tour of the whole palace right now and you can tell me about your life in China?"

"That sounds great." Jadeite smiled, sliding his all-purpose card in his wallet and sheathing his sword before following Endymion out the door.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sailor Mars's attempts at meditating hadn't gotten her any closer to any answers. She kept hearing some flute music that stopped whenever her concentration broke - this made it difficult to pinpoint where the sound was coming from and telling it to stop. She even attempted detransforming - her Princess form was less physically aware but more spiritually aware. However, when Hino Rei attempted to meditate, the sound of the flute came even stronger. It was a beautiful melody that she might normally enjoy - just not when it was disrupting her attempts at figuring out just why Jadeite had returned and exactly what it meant. Sighing, Rei stood and added some wood to the sacred fire before leaving the room. With a thought, her flames surrounded her and she transformed into Mars again. She headed towards Mercury's lab in the hopes that the genius had come up with some ideas as to why Jadeite returned now. 

"Serenity!" Mars was surprised to see her queen standing patiently outside her temple, lightly petting Luna. Looking around, she saw the other senshi also waiting for her in the hallway, Artemis curled up around Venus's neck just like when they were kids. Over the years, they'd learned to wait for Mars to finish her fire readings instead of barging in on them, and even though they had plenty of conference rooms and war rooms, Serenity still had an affinity for holding senshi meetings in the temple with the sacred fire. She said it was calming, even though fire was only Mars's element.

"Mars, there's something we need to talk about - about Jadeite. And the rest of the shitennou, in fact. I was hoping to do it in front of the sacred fire like we used to." Serenity grinned. "There's also something else I wanted to tell you all."

"All right." Mars led the way back into the room she'd just left, the other girls trailing in behind her. When they all settled into a circle, she asked, "What's up, Serenity?"

"I know you must all have questions about Endymion's guards. I can't answer all of them - some you'll just have to wait for them to tell you. When they do tell you though, for your own sake, listen. What I will say is this - I have no doubt that they are not evil, trying to bring down the kingdom, take the Silver Crystal, et cetera, et cetera. Mmkay?" Serenity smiled as she looked at the damage done on her friends. Jupiter's eyebrows were raised, Mercury's mouth hung slightly open, Mars's brow was furrowed and Venus's face was unmoved. "Luna?"

"What Serenity says is true. The shitennou are not bad people. We don't know everything that happened, but we do know enough to say that they are to be trusted," Luna interjected before anyone could complain, stretched out in front of the warm fire. She didn't understand what Mars could possibly see in the fire, but she knew that it was warm and comforting and the best place to take a nap (when Mars wasn't looking, of course.)

"Luna-" Mercury started, but was interrupted by the outraged groan from Jupiter.

"Why can't you say anything else? I thought we were supposed to have no secrets. We're a team, remember?" Mars, despite having cooled down considerably from when they were teenagers learning how to be senshi, was still the shortest-tempered one among them.

"Since we're a team and I'm your Queen, I think you should trust me enough to take my word for it. Jadeite is not an enemy and you are not to hurt him, am I clear?" Serenity's tone was one Usagi of the old days certainly didn't possess. It was one that didn't allow for argument - it was a command, not just a normal statement. Before anyone could respond, Venus put a hand to her ear.

"I'll be right there," she said. "Guys, I think another general just made his appearance. This one arrived at the North Gate."

"Nephrite," Serenity breathed. She was glad for the interruption - perhaps some time for her words to sink in was just what the senshi needed. "Let's go get him."

* * *

Sorry for the long pause between chapters; I do have a real job and am having some difficulty with the plot, so please forgive that. I'm basing the characters off a mix of their anime/manga personalities, in case you were wondering. 

Reviews are much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: not mine, cool? cool.

* * *

This time, Mercury accompanied Venus to the North Gate while the other senshi escorted Serenity to meet Endymion and Jadeite. Venus wasn't surprised at seeing a tall brunet standing outside the gate, though she was a little surprised at his movie star attire, complete with what looked to be a Versace suit and Armani sunglasses. She wondered exactly what his life had been like up to now. 

"Sailor Venus, Mercury, my name is Nathaniel King. I've come here in hopes of meeting with the senshi. I'm a businessman from New York, but after the deep freeze I've been having such real nightmares involving the senshi that even my psychiatrist didn't know what to do with me." There was a touch of arrogance in the man's voice and the way he took off his sunglasses and tucked it into his breast pocket. Venus was certain it would have been much stronger if she hadn't been among the strongest warriors in the universe.

"We've been waiting for you," she said, waiting for Mercury to finish scanning him and give an all clear signal before she continued. "I'll let you in, but I still need to check you for weapons and bind you up for security purposes." Nathaniel didn't look very pleased about it, but let himself be frisked and bound before following the wary senshi towards the palace.

"This place is bigger than I imagined," Nathaniel said as they passed through what seemed to be the twentieth archway.

"Palaces have a tendency to be large," Venus quipped. Her mind was still analyzing what Serenity had told them earlier about listening to what the shitennou have to say. She knew that Serenity had more of her memories than any of them, but that didn't exactly make her feel completely at ease about trusting the generals. After all, Serenity would've forgiven Adolf Hitler if he'd apologized - she believed people when they showed the slightest bit of good. Her senshi were there to see past the facades and separate the dangerous assassins-to-be from the truly good.

"Forgive me, Sailor Venus, but I've only seen one palace before, on my visit to London. The States doesn't believe in monarchies. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that." Nathaniel offered a bright smile when Venus turned around to lecture him about his impertinence and self-righteousness

Mercury saved her friend the trouble of a lecture though. "This is true, Mr. King, but only when the tyrant is no better than his citizens. Neo-Queen Serenity has saved this earth time and again - has even given her life for the sake of its future. When you can say the same, feel free to challenge her position. And by the way, need I remind you of your country's disgrace at the beginning of the twenty-first century, brought about by a certain democratically elected George W. Bush?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging the silenced man to refute her words. "Now, if you please, the others are waiting for us." Turning, she opened the door to a large conference room near the medical wing. If Jadeite was any indication, Nephrite would be paying a visit to Doctor Mercury before the day was through.

Nathaniel was a just a little nervous when he followed Venus into a room where the Neo-Queen was waiting for him along with her senshi and the Neo-King. He instinctively dropped to his knees, though he looked directly up at those in the room, observant eyes immediately noticing another man in the room that he hadn't seen when he'd researched the senshi. He took a deep breath and smiled. "Your majesties, my name is-"

"Nathaniel King, the youngest person to top the Midas List," Endymion finished for him. The Forbes Midas List effectively ranked the best businessmen of the year. This man put everyone else on it to shame with his list of achievements.

"You know this person?" Venus questioned, the surprise on her face echoing on Nathaniel's own. Nathaniel was arrogant and he knew it, but even he hadn't expected the king of the world to have heard of him.

"I worked in the financial industry before this whole Crystal Tokyo thing, you know."

"OK, all that aside, can we go over why he's here?" Jupiter was getting a touch impatient. Her heart had jumped in her throat when Serenity had mentioned the name "Nephrite," and the gorgeous, well-dressed man standing in front of them wasn't helping her swallow it back down. If he were one of the shitennou, then he was someone to not be trusted, right? Even though the senshi were a little more relaxed than when Jianjun randomly showed up, they were still tense just in case Nathaniel was different from Jianjun and wound up being a threat to Serenity. Tossing her king a glance, Jupiter caught Jadeite's smile out the corner of her eye. He clearly was completely at ease with this newcomer. She'd have to give him a lesson on being a guardian, if he really were one of Endymion's generals.

Endymion, who had been pacing around before Nathaniel entered, walked over to him and held out a piece of jade, darker than the one he'd given Jadeite. "I believe this is your's," he said.

Nathaniel slowly reached for the stone, just a little frightened by a strong power coming from it that was similar to the power the others in the room were all radiating, especially the blond man he didn't recognize. Upon taking the stone into his hands, he felt compelled to mumble, "Nephrite." A brilliant red light surrounded him and his very, very expensive suit melted into a gray uniform with a deep red piping. Scenes surged into his mind, like a waterfall of videos pummeling his memories. He wondered how he'd ever forgotten an entire lifetime, until a deep, penetrating pain permeated his entire psyche and he keeled over into Endymion's waiting arms.

"Is this going to happen for each general that shows up?" Mars muttered as Mercury called in a few medics to take the unconscious general to the medical quarters.

"Zoisite, definitely. Kunzite might be able to withstand it, but I doubt it." Even though he knew it was a rhetorical question, Jadeite wanted every excuse he could get to talk with Mars. All he got was a cold stare before Mars turned to Serenity and said something about finishing a conversation.

* * *

Unlike the more level-headed Jadeite, Nephrite's subconscious wasn't going to let him off with the excuse of "it was required of you." Mercury had to tie him down in order to prevent his accidentally hurting himself. Even though his status remained the same, Serenity kept checking up on him between meetings with heads of state and dealing with things like establishing world peace. Even with Crystal Tokyo established and the de jure planetary monarchies made known to the world, former governments and national boundaries still existed, with de facto control over national policies. This meant that wars were still being fought, even though Serenity and Endymion were doing their best to end them - after all, people who had been feuding for centuries weren't going to suddenly drop their mutual hatred just because some magical beings were crowned rulers of the planet. 

Serenity sighed as the video conference with the president of Venezuela ended. She'd studied international relations in college when Luna pointed out that being Queen of Earth wasn't all fun and games, but there really was no course that would've prepared her for her current role. Endymion put an arm around her shoulder as they headed for bed. "This will all be easier when the shitennou ease into their roles as the four kings," he commented.

"That's true - we weren't really prepared for handling conflicts within a kingdom. We were all trained to rule united planets back then, not ones as barbarically divided as Earth." Serenity visibly perked up at the idea. "That's why I'm no good at this."

Endymion chuckled. "I think you've adapted to this barbaric planet quite well, Usako."

Serenity scrunched her nose. "Doesn't mean I like it." Instead of a response, she felt Endymion stop walking and tilted her head up to look at him, then turned to look in the direction of his gaze. They were by the library entrance, and a light was on inside. "That's weird; Mercury should be in the lab analyzing Jadeite's blood or something - which reminds me; I need to tell you something later." Serenity finished with a whisper as they silently entered the huge building.

Jadeite didn't even realize anyone was looking over his shoulder until he heard a mischievous voice behind him ask, "What'cha working on?" Jumping to his feet and knocking over his chair in the process, Jadeite turned and had his hand on his sword hilt in the blink of an eye.

"Serenity! You guys surprised me." He nodded an acknowledgment to Endymion as his hand left his sword and felt around on the table behind him, closing the notebook he was writing in. "What're you two doing here so late?"

"Oh we were just headed to bed when we noticed a light in here. So what'cha working on?" Serenity smiled brightly at Jadeite, darting furtive glances at the crumpled pieces of paper and eraser residue scattered on the table.

"Writing - I'm just doing some writing. I did a lot of writing, you know, before all this." Jadeite mentally kicked himself for sounding like an idiot.

"Ah yes, for your movies."

"What movies?" Serenity's confused gaze traveled between her husband and Jadeite. She wondered if this were what Endymion felt like when she and her senshi used to talk about girly things beyond his estrogen-lacking comprehension, like movie stars and shopping trips.

"I was telling Endymion earlier about how I was a screenwriter and director in China before coming here. Right now, I'm writing down my memories of the Silver Millennium. It helps me sort things through." This was a partial truth - he was actually writing down all his memories of Mars from the Silver Millennium. He wasn't sure what he would do with it, since it wasn't likely she'd read it no matter how nicely he asked. However, scribbling his thoughts down on a piece of paper had always helped him think in the past, and he was hoping that this time would be no different. Maybe by the time he was finished, he'd know what to do with the script.

"That's awesome! We should do a screening of your movies sometime then." Serenity clapped excitedly - she loved movies. So did Rei, which would make it a perfect opportunity to show her a different side of Jadeite and make her fall in love with him all over again. The romantic in Serenity was giddy with the idea, though the more sensible side knew it wouldn't be that easy to tame the pyromaniac.

"I would be honored, Majesty." There was a twinkle in Jadeite's eyes, even though his words were spoken with the utmost sincerity. Just then, Serenity yawned. After exchanging a few final words and good nights, Endymion directed Serenity away from their detour and again towards a well deserved night of sleep. Jadeite, however, wouldn't be sharing the same luxury for several hours. When he finally threw out the discarded pages and packed up his notebook and pencil, he'd already had two hours' worth of a script written.

* * *

Mercury efficiently prepared a new IV drip for Nephrite and checked his stats before leaving him to his rest. It had been a full day since he'd passed out and he was still showing no signs of waking. She'd been forced to sedate him when his thrashing became so violent she was afraid he'd hurt himself, though she had kept it light so that he could still wake up if he were so inclined. Saturn - who had been visiting with Serenity briefly before Jadeite showed up - had left to inform the other outer senshi of the shitennou's return, leaving Mercury to deal with the patient herself. The outer senshi lived almost like nomads, constantly traveling and never settling down in one place. Venus suspected it was their way of monitoring the safety of the kingdom. 

The doctor-senshi's analysis of both Jadeite and Nephrite's blood had come up negative for well, anything. They had no diseases, and there really wasn't much else she could do with the samples except verify that they were in fact human and not aliens. After pouring herself a cup of steaming tea, she sat on a window seat in her office and looked out at the fountains, pondering the mystery that was the shitennou. Each senshi had her own corner in the palace - Mercury had fountains near the medical wing, Mars had her temple and fire room, Jupiter had the gardens outside the kitchen, and Venus had the training grounds. Of course, they each had living quarters nearby - their individual living spaces were quite nice, really. They had penthouse like suites near their grounds, complete with living room, bedroom, a dining room that doubled as a conference room, and one and a half bathrooms. Aside from the standard rooms, each suite also had custom rooms to fit its owner's personality - Mercury, for example, had a lab and a pool. For now, Jadeite was staying in a guest room, though Mercury was certain the shitennou would eventually have their own customized wings built.

"Why didn't I think to keep samples of the Dark Kingdom's DNA?" she murmured to no one in particular. "At least I would have something to compare these guys to."

"Still no signs of waking?" A distinctly male voice cut through her musings, and Mercury looked up to find Jadeite at her door, looking at the video screens mounted on one of her walls. The only one displaying a picture showed a quietly comatose Nephrite, vital stats scrolling through a corner picture-in-picture. She immediately stood, well-bred manners directing her to set her mug down and pour another cup of tea for her guest.

"Nothing yet, though I just gave him another dose of sedatives," she murmured, handing the cup to Jadeite.

"May I try something?" Jadeite took a sip of the tea, free hand holding up a flute. "I have an idea what he's going through, and knowing Nephrite, he may need some help getting through it in one piece." Mercury nodded, leading Jadeite down the hall to the room they were just watching. Thoughtfully closing the door behind them, she returned to her office to monitor Nephrite's stats while giving Jadeite some modicum of privacy.

Indeed, Nephrite's non-waking state wasn't due to some physical ailment that even Mercury's most attentive doctoring could cure. In his mind's eye, he hid behind a tree as his shadow, having taken his appearance, asked Princess Makoto to close her eyes, hiding his hands behind his back as though he were holding a present. When she playfully did as requested, the Nephrite-double drew a small derringer from where it was tucked into his belt near the small of his back and shot her point blank - she didn't even have time to reopen her eyes before she died.

When he got sick of reliving that scene, he changed the channel to where he'd thrown caution to the wind and ignored the stars' warning about letting Endymion travel to the Moon. He followed that up with Kunzite and Endymion dueling in a sword fight for their life, everyone involved knowing that Kunzite's superior training would come out on top. When the Moon Princess sunk Endymion's dagger in her own grief-stricken heart, Nephrite had lost his head and charged Kunzite, for agreeing to be the bearer of such tragedy. Not only had Nephrite helped bring down the Silver Millennium, he hadn't even stayed alive long enough to help his brothers finish the terrible act. He would then start over from the beginning, reliving his nightmare from hell over and over again like Prometheus suffering his liver being torn out and eaten everyday.

Suddenly, a soothing music morphed Nephrite's shadow pulling the trigger on Princess Makoto into the evening of their first meeting. Nephrite raised an eyebrow as instead of leaning against a tree listening to his shadow con the Jupiter princess, he was now holding her in his arms as they danced across the Moon Palace's grand ballroom. Thinking quickly, he changed the scene to Kunzite and Endymion's death match, which melted into a regular sparring match back in their training grounds in the Earth Palace. When his charging Kunzite ended in a tickling match that he iknew/i never happened, Nephrite knew something was up. "Jadeite..." he drew out warily. Slowly the memories faded from his mind as darkness took over.

Blinking, Nephrite groaned as he raised his hands to rub his temples. "Shut up, Jadeite, shut. Up."

"Good to see you too, Neph. Now stop wallowing in your lazy self-pity and start protecting Endymion." Jadeite tucked his flute back in his pocket and took another sip of the tea Mercury had poured him. "Endymion's already got your stuff collected and is waiting for you to get up. Mercury's probably called him over already."

As though on cue, the door opened to reveal Sailor Mercury. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, Jadeite, but could you please step out? I need to check him over. I've already called Endymion; you can wait for him outside if you'd like."

Having prepared for the return of all his generals when Jadeite first returned, Endymion lost no time in returning to Nephrite what was rightfully his. Neither Nephrite nor Endymion's eyes were dry - though both would vehemently deny tearing up if Jadeite were to ever bring it up - when Nephrite touched the golden tortoise and snake glistening in the black sky on his scabbard. The name "Genbu" welled up inside him until he just had to say it. Nephrite had a necklace identical to Jadeite's, which he put on without a word. His silence could be perceived as stoicism by those who knew him less - Jadeite knew it was because he was too overwhelmed to speak.

"Endymion, we have a lot to talk about," Nephrite finally spoke after he finished apologizing repeatedly and reminiscing over what equated to a scrapbook of his past life. "But I have a feeling we're going to need a bar first." Although Endymion repeatedly assured him of forgiveness and Nephrite acted as though it were all behind him, he knew he couldn't fool Jadeite's watchful eye. He could also tell that Jadeite was likewise putting up appearances for Endymion's sake. Eventually they would need to have a conversation in private about the matter. Right now though, there was another more pressing matter they needed to discuss

"I don't have a bar." Endymion paused for Nephrite's face to sink before continuing. "I do have a wine cellar with a few bottles of hard liquor though, and a rec room next to it." He relished the grin that broke out over Nephrite's face.

"That'll do for now, but one day we're going to need to build you a bar and make you a man. Spending all this time with the ladies seems to have made you as metrosexual as Zoisite." Nephrite clapped a hand on Endymion's back. "Lead the way, majesty." The three shared stories about their lives before being reunited as they made their way through the palace to Endymion's own little corner, separate from even Serenity. After Nephrite selected an excellent eight-year-old red wine and Jadeite grabbed a bottle of well-aged Remi Martin, the men made their way to the rec room, which contained foosball, pool, air hockey, and card tables, as well as an HDTV and several video game consoles. Nephrite whistled upon seeing entering the room. "And I thought I had a nice set-up in New York."

"Speaking of that, don't you two have affairs to settle?" Endymion asked, pulling out three glasses and a corkscrew.

"I settled mine before coming here - had a feeling I'd be here for quite awhile."

"Not being as impetuous as Neph here, I'll need a week or so to tie up some loose ends. I can wait until things settle down a little here though." Jadeite tested the weight of various pool cues before selecting one and chalking it up. He didn't want to assume that Zoisite and Kunzite were going to show up just because Jadeite and Nephrite did, though he couldn't help hoping.

"All right; just let me know when. Now Neph, what did you want to talk about?" Endymion took a sip of his wine, nearly spitting it back out when Nephrite all but yelped.

"With a cellar like that, how can you be so ignorant of how to enjoy wine?" he cried, as though Endymion had just committed a crime against the fermented grape juice. "You're not supposed to gulp it down like a shot of whiskey; you're supposed to savor it. Like this." Nephrite poured himself a third of a glass and held it up as a demonstration. "Look at its color and swirl the glass to evolve more of it. Take a sniff, to heighten your senses. Follow that up by quickly taking a sip with plenty of air and swirl it in your mouth so all your taste buds pull in the flavor, and then you can swallow." Nephrite closed his eyes as he put the glass to his mouth and shuddered as his Adam's apple bobbed. "That's good wine."

"Right, you do that Neph. I'm going to work on getting good and drunk." So saying, Jadeite took a large gulp from his glass of cognac, squeezing his eyes shut and exhaling hard as the liquor burned down his throat.

"You've already tried talking to Mars, haven't you?" Endymion gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

"Yup - and I'm assuming a discussion about the ladies is on the agenda for the evening."

"That's right - so Endymion, care to share what's been going on since the senshi reawakened?" Nephrite racked up the pool balls and set the rack aside on the foosball table.

"I think you should also get started on getting nicely drunk before this story's over, Neph." Endymion broke, and started his story about Beryl and "her" shitennou.

* * *

Action starts next chapter, promise. Please do let me know what you like/dislike about the story. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: not mine, cool? cool. 

* * *

While Endymion and his generals were playing pool and gossiping about the most powerful women in the world, a strong evil was approaching the dark side of the moon. Twelve beings circled each other warily, baring sharp teeth and pawing the ground in warning. "Enough!" a voice echoed through the room, effectively stopping all noise. The forms drew back in fear, cowering in the darkness encompassing them. There had been thirteen of them, but the one whose laziness invited the Emperor's rage on himself did not live to regret it. The remaining twelve wouldn't soon forget that. "Zhu!"

A large, unwieldy creature ambled forward, grunting slightly as he lowered his head in the semblance of a bow. A light blue Chinese character - hai, the twelfth earthly branch - flashed on his forehead as his body began to change. His limbs grew longer and his body moved upright. His snout shrunk into an upturned but distinctly more human nose. He bowed more deeply, short pink hair curling around his head. A single pink lock, slightly grayer than the rest, was left long so it could hang down his back in a tight braid. "Emperor."

"There's a strong energy coming from the palace in the country they call Japan. Get it." The Emperor knew that Zhu was the least skilled and least ambitious of his warriors. Nonetheless, he was loyal almost to a fault, and never wasted a step. Every action of his returned the most efficient results.

"Yes, Emperor." Zhu backed away from the shadowed ruler until he was standing only slightly in front of the other creatures, then vanished in a portal bound for Earth. The emperor retired from the room, upon which the hissing and low growls resumed.

* * *

Nephrite woke up with a hangover of doom. He wasn't quite sure how much alcohol he'd consumed the previous night, but it certainly must have been a lot. Stumbling into the bathroom adjacent to his room, he splashed cold water on his face and remembered the conversation that had prompted his drinking. He immediately wished he hadn't remembered. Even though he didn't know anything about battling the senshi in the 20th century, he didn't doubt for a second the words of his prince.

After an ibuprofen and a shower, he made his way to the gardens. It was the most open space he knew of, and Jupiter would most likely be somewhere nearby. He still couldn't help wanting to see her, no matter how she might respond. "The stars know everything." His body stiffened as a familiar power slammed into him, filling his mind with more images and knowledge than he could process at once. It was similar to when he'd first transformed into Nephrite and an entire previous lifetime's worth of knowledge entered his mind, except with a hundred times the force. The information was crushing him mentally and would have entirely suffocated him if not for a gentle touch on his arm.

"Are you OK?"

Nephrite gasped, his connection with the stars broken. Falling to his knees, he took deep gulping breaths of air. The images still swarmed around in his mind, but at least no new ones were being added.

"Nephrite?"

The general looked up at the girl who had unknowingly saved him and shakily climbed to his feet. "Thank you, Sailor Jupiter. I was trying to read the stars, but I had underestimated their power. If not for you, I might not be OK." He gave her a weak grin. A part of him never wanted to take his eyes off her slightly flour-dusted face, but the part of his mind that was sorting through the information from the stars had flagged something as important that he really needed to look into further.

For her part, Jupiter just nodded warily. "How can you read the stars during the day?" It wasn't that she doubted his ability; rather, she still couldn't get over the fact that he looked exactly like the first enemy she'd helped vanquish and therefore couldn't overcome the need to doubt his motives. At least she hadn't been around when Jadeite attacked, so his presence wasn't as awkward as Nephrite's. As a result, even though Serenity told them to listen to the shitennou, she still had her doubts. After all, they'd been seduced to Beryl's side more than once before - who was to say they couldn't have been yet again?

Nephrite chuckled. "The stars are always there, Sailor Jupiter. During the day, the sun's overwhelming brilliance prevents us from seeing them with the naked eye, but they're still in the sky. I'm reading the power they give off, which depends on their relative positions. Thus, the presence of other stars cannot dilute my readings, only change what I read." He stupidly looked into her bright green eyes as he spoke, and fell in love all over again. However, the previous night's discussion pushed its way into his mind and he recalled the pained expression on Jadeite's face when he mentioned Mars only remembering his betrayal in the Silver Millennium alongside the empathy exuding from Endymion as he described the senshi's encounter with Beryl's generals in the 20th century. Still, Endymion had given him some hope. He'd said that Serenity had given the senshi fair warning about listening to the shitennou's explanations, so maybe... well. Just maybe.

"I should be going back to the kitchen; my cake should be almost done." Jupiter looked down, unable to keep looking at Nephrite's deep coffee brown eyes and the way his long, wavy brown hair gave him a wild type of beauty. Turning, she was about to run when a single word stopped her.

"Makoto..."

The way her given name sounded from Nephrite's deep voice inexplicably brought tears to her eyes. Sailor Jupiter froze, unable to move away from or turn to look at him. A wave of deja vu flowed over her as somewhere in her memories of another time and place, another Nephrite breathed her name with the same tone of adoration, though without the tinge of pain and sorrow unmistakable in the way he'd spoken this time. A light breeze picked up, blowing the wisps of hair that escaped her ponytail around her face and the ends of her back ribbon brushed lightly against her legs.

Nephrite almost rested a hand on her shoulder, but pulled back just short of actually touching her. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from pulling her into his arms. The words came before he could even think them over. "I love you."

Somewhere inside Jupiter, a leak sprung in her armor and silent tears began falling down her face like a spring shower, each tear coming faster than the one before it until it was virtually a downpour. Without speaking a word, she ran towards the labyrinth Mercury had designed and she had cultivated. She had always found comfort hiding in their comforting branches.

Nephrite watched her go, a thousand knives ripping his heart to shreds at her cold response. Trying to take his mind off the pain, he went back to processing what the stars had told him and immediately forgot entirely about Jupiter. An evil was headed for Earth. It was entirely possible that this was eons old information the stars had passed to him, but he didn't want to take the chance. Nephrite felt for the switch on his earpiece and shuffled through a couple channels before reaching the one assigned to the shitennou. "Jadeite, we need to talk."

"I'm in the dining hall with Endymion and Venus; why don't you come get breakfast as well?"

"Just meet me by the training grounds after you're done. Bring Endymion and Venus as well; they should hear this." Nephrite remembered the blonde beauty who'd managed to win Kunzite's heart and her ruthless enforcement of senshi training back in the Silver Millennium.

Nephrite chose to walk around the main palace buildings, passing by the fountains on the north side instead. His apartment in New York was arranged to maximize feng shui, so it hadn't escaped his attention that the grounds were constructed to match the senshi's elements with their strongest direction. This meant that Mercury's water faced north, Jupiter's wood faced east, Mars's fire faced south and Venus's metal faced west. He wondered how the shitennou were going to fit into this wonderland that the senshi had helped Serenity and Endymion build - indeed, he wondered if they even deserved to fit into it. His actions in the Silver Millennium made him feel like the Bible's Adam, who was tempted by Eve and the snake to partake of the forbidden apple and consequently banished from the Garden of Eden. The only difference was that he was allowed to return, and welcomed with somewhat open arms.

When he arrived at the training grounds, Nephrite closed his eyes and concentrated. Now wasn't the time to wonder about belonging; now was the time to work on saving the planet. Genbu was connected to Mercury and symbolized full yin - unsurprisingly, his powers were similar to hers, though the way he called on it was entirely different. The shitennou pulled their power directly from Earth; their bodies were mere conductors. Selecting a bale of straw that Mars probably used for archery practice as his target, he closed his eyes and raised his right hand to eye level perpendicular to his face. Only his ring finger curled into his palm, held down by his thumb. A few ancient words fell from his lips and he felt the earth's magic coursing through him, entering through his feet and gathering at his fingertips. Finishing his spell, he opened his eyes and swiftly extended his hand so it was pointing at the unfortunate straw. Starting from the tips of his now entirely outstretched fingers, a wave of power surged forward, liquidifying and gathering the air as it went by. Ultimately, a potent mixture consisting mainly of liquid nitrogen slammed into the defenseless block of horse feed, freezing it instantaneously.

"Impressive, Nephrite, but was it really necessary?" Jadeite's voice broke Nephrite's concentration and the energy stopped flowing out of his hands.

"What happened to his eyes?" Venus questioned. Indeed, Nephrite's normally brown eyes had turned entirely black and seemed to be glowing from within.

"His eyes turn black when he pulls power from the Earth. They'll change back pretty quickly." Jadeite walked over to the block of ice that had been Nephrite's victim and tapped it lightly with his boot, shattering it into a million icy fragments. "Solid."

"Did you call us here just to show off?" Endymion smiled at his friend. He would've made a crack about inviting Jupiter to watch, but he didn't want to explain that joke to Venus.

Nephrite blinked and his eyes returned to their normal color. "I consulted the stars today - something evil is headed for Earth. It has an animalistic signature that I can't quite identify. I can't tell when this occurred, but I believe it's worth treating as an imminent threat." Turning to Jadeite, he added, "You should check to see if you can still use your powers, and if you have the stamina to use it. I'm feeling a little lightheaded after a small, unmoving target. Our minds may have memories of the Silver Millennium, but our bodies certainly aren't trained with the same stamina - we're going to have to work on that."

Jadeite raised an eyebrow, but focused on a grassy field where Jupiter probably practiced her martial arts. Seiryu symbolized new yang, so his powers were based on creation. Jadeite's powers were similar to Jupiter's in that they were also linked with wood, though the similarities ended there. Closing his eyes, Jadeite also brought his right hand perpendicular to his face. His pinky was held down by his thumb, index finger almost touching his nose. Whispering an ancient spell, he brought his hand down to his waist, turning it so his palm faced down. He opened his eyes and his hand at the same time, pushing down before curving it until his palm faced up. It appeared as though he were trying to raise something very heavy, which he in fact was as the minerals collected in the field and solidified into a few dozen wooden stakes, rising several feet above the earth. Releasing his power, Jadeite turned to Nephrite, his normally multi-hued blue eyes now a solid, bright blue color. Venus would swear they would've glowed like the afternoon sky on a sunny day if they were in the dark.

"You're right. I used to be able to make a couple hundred of those - certainly enough to build a large fence. That can't even keep a cow out."

"Zoisite's not going to like this - he never liked meditation training in the first place." Nephrite's words were almost prophetic, as Venus was informed through her earpiece that a foreign presence was approaching the South Gate.

"I think he's here, actually. Zoisite is south, right?" she asked, after relaying the information to the three men. "What?" she added, seeing their surprised faces.

"Do you- do you remember?" Endymion knew his question was also on the minds of his shitennou. If Venus had any memory of the shitennou before they helped Beryl wreak havoc on the Silver Millennium, then there was a chance any or all of the senshi could remember the true personalities of the shitennou. That would make any form of reconciliation easier.

"I did some studying on the internet. Zoisite is guarded by suzaku of the south and Kunzite is guarded by byakko of the west, right?" Venus flashed the three men a dazzling smile. "I'm not just a ditz, you know - I have enough brains to be the leader of the senshi. We'll discuss the danger Nephrite saw after I grab Mercury and retrieve us a Zoisite." She retreated from the training grounds, mouth set in a hard line. That had been a difficult lie. She certainly didn't remember as much of the shitennou as Endymion and Serenity clearly did, but she was fairly certain she remembered more than the other senshi. That was to say, she remembered Kunzite and- well, it wouldn't do to think of that now. She connected to the senshi on their communicators and told them of Zoisite's arrival.

* * *

The man she assumed to be Zoisite still managed to surprise Venus. She knew he was probably from Europe, but she hadn't expected him to look, well, like he did. The Zoisite she remembered was very outgoing and flamboyant; this man almost looked meek in comparison. As far as he knew though, he was merely a normal human facing two Sailor Senshi - anyone should be meek in that circumstance.

"Sailor Venus, Sailor Mercury." The blond bowed lightly in a greeting. "My name is Zerek Furste; I come from Sweden-"

"Have you had weird dreams?" At Zerek's surprised nod, Venus added, "You're not the first. I'll let you in, but you have to be searched for weapons and bound just in case." Zerek silently agreed as Mercury finished her initial scan and gave Venus and the guards an all-clear signal. He was relieved no one noticed the bug placed on his clothes.

"You're from Swedish nobility, aren't you." Sailor Mercury's tone indicated she was making a statement, not asking a question. Venus raised an eyebrow. So far, none of the former senshi or shitennou had been reborn as royalty or nobility of any sort, though most had made a name for themselves separate from their former lives.

"My father is a duke - Carl Furste. He is the third in line to the crown after my two uncles."

Mercury nodded. "I remember reading about his visit to Berlin when I was studying in Germany. His contributions to the science community are highly lauded."

Venus was silent during the walk through the palace grounds. For some reason, she couldn't shake the fact that there was something wrong. Zerek didn't feel right - he didn't feel like he belonged here with them. Still, if he bore no harm, then they may learn something new from him even if he weren't Zoisite. She was concerned about what Nephrite had brought up about a danger approaching Earth, and if Zerek really were an enemy, she'd rather have him next to her than attacking from who knows where.

Upon entering the room where Serenity and Endymion were waiting for him, Zerek immediately kneeled with the grace of one accustomed to such acts. He still managed a glance around the room, observant eyes noting four senshi and two men he didn't remember meeting before. "Your majesties, I am Zerek Furste of Sweden. After many dreams involving your majesties and the senshi, I felt obligated to make an informal trip here to discuss them in person. I ask that your majesties keep my trip here a secret, as there would be quite an uproar in Sweden if it were reported that I was having dreams odd enough to compel me to visit Crystal Tokyo."

"We're glad you came, Zerek." Serenity smiled at the man she vaguely recalled studying about. When learning about all the leaders and important people in the world, she had been a lot more interested in studying about royal families than about members of parliaments and legal procedures. Their lives had always sounded so glamorous.

"I think this belongs to you." Endymion had been standing at the door when Zerek walked in, and now presented the man with a rough, uncut blue crystal.

"That's not possible; I've never been here before, your majesty." Zerek looked at the crystal, uncertain why the king would make him such a present. It couldn't possibly be an attempt to frame a robbery or something, right?

"Take it."

At Endymion's insistence, Zerek gently picked up the stone. "Thank you, your majesty." When he looked back up, he discovered the four senshi and two men had all gotten into attack positions, directed at him. "What's wrong?"

"Could we have made a mistake?" Serenity muttered to no one in particular, a quizzical look on her face.

"Do you feel... nothing?" Endymion's expression was unreadable. There was despair, fear, and something entirely indescribable all mixed into one on his face.

"I feel like I'm being ambushed - was this some sort of setup?" Zerek looked ready to bolt, even though he'd be reduced to dust before he even set foot outside the door.

"There's another one?" Venus seemed to be speaking into thin air, and Zerek was about to question the sanity of the people in the room when she relaxed her stance minutely. "You guys keep an eye on this one. There's apparently another guy at the South Gate - I'm going to go get him." As soon as she said this, Zerek's face paled and he began speaking rapidly in a language they could only assume was Swedish.

Mercury raised an eyebrow, picking up scattered snippets of his conversation with her limited Swedish. Careful eyes noted a harmless mic that her scan hadn't been looking out for. Understanding dawned on her. "You're a body double!"

Zerek's nodded, finishing a statement into his mic and sighing. The senshi lowered their arms and the shitennou removed their hands from their swords, though tension still hovered in the air. "My name is Isak Larsson. You must understand, Sailor Mercury - with Lord Zerek's odd dreams and your powers being of unknown magnitudes, we couldn't take the risk of his coming here by himself."

Venus and Mercury excused themselves to retrieve the real Zerek, and reappeared with him several minutes later. The real Zerek Furste was probably the most at ease of the shitennou so far upon meeting Serenity and Endymion. He'd actually already met them once, when they had visited with the Swedish royal family. At the time though, he hadn't connected them to the people he was trying to protect in the dreams he was just starting to have. There was a clear difference between Zerek and Isak, not the least of which being that Zerek carried himself with a confidence that Isak lacked. "Your majesties, I am Zerek Furste. Isak wouldn't let me come unless he checked the dangers first. I deeply apologize for the deception."

"Entirely understandable - thank you for coming despite the dangers you feared. Now, the crystal Endymion gave Isak I believe is actually your's." Serenity motioned towards Isak, who had bowed and retreated to the back of the room when Zerek entered. He now approached Zerek and placed the blue stone on his outstretched palm.

Zerek had felt a power calling to him from Isak as soon as he'd entered the room, and now he knew why. It wasn't Isak - rather, it was the crystal Isak had been holding. Warmth erupted in his body, starting from the crystal in his hand, and he murmured, "Zoisite." A sparkling green light covered him head to toe, dissipating after his clothes were changed into that of a gray uniform with emerald green piping. Poor Isak was left backing away from his lord in shock and terror. Memories erupted through Zerek's mind and before he even got to the part where he and his companions carried out the miserable task they'd taken upon themselves, he passed out.

"Wh- wh- what did you do to him?" Isak all but shrieked, catching Zoisite's limp body before it could fall to the floor.

"We'll explain it to him." Endymion nodded at Jadeite and Nephrite. "Venus I think has some important news to discuss with the rest of you."

* * *

I always thought Sailor Moon was heavily influenced by mythology and the like, so why not take it to the next level with the astrology and mythical creatures and stuff? Yea... 

* * *


End file.
